Love Happens

Every now and then, for reasons known only to itself, the movie machine promotes a movie as being one thing when it is actually something very different. Love Happens is a case in point. The trailer sells it as a romantic comedy: it isn't. Sure, there are some smiles during it, but it is actually a light drama dealing with bereavement and grief. Aaron Eckhart is good in a role which stretches him rather further than usual, and Jennifer Aniston is satisfactory in a part which demands little of her than to look attractive, occasionally pleased and, more often, rather puzzled. Martin Sheen is OK in a role which is deceitfully sold initially as one thing but turns out to be quite another. Judy Greer has a small, but entertaining role. But pride of place must go to John Carroll Lynch with a strong, sympathetic, and very believable performance in a supporting role. I enjoyed this movie even though I felt that it was rather glib in the way it dealt with some elements of the story (the resolution of the relationship between Eckhart and Sheen for instance).

OK, the film is a mixed bag of sorts, part rom-com, part drama. A bit choppy, IMHO. As a fan of Jennifer Aniston, I am willing to let a few things slide in a film because I find her so charming and likable. Aaron Ekhart, who was phenomenal in Thank You for Smoking, seems slightly out of place in a rom-com, but he did his best with the character. I did not feel any chemistry between Aniston and Ekhart, though, and so the credibility of their fledgling relationship took a hit, for me. My favorite scene in the movie was the inclusion of the indie rock band Rogue Wave and their music (at least 2 songs in the soundtrack). They are the reason I rented the DVD, since I saw on I-Tunes that they have singles from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. I did not know that they would actually appear on camera, and so I was very pleasantly surprised. All in all, not a terrible film, but not great, either.

As others have said, the characters are not very well developed and it's a fairly shallow romantic comedy. It's okay. The one thing that bothered me was that Burke is supposed to release his deceased wife's cockatoo into the wild. Who in the world thought that up? Tropical bird that has been living in a house and has never learned to forage on its own will not last long in the wild. Especially a tropical parent that is taken out in cold weather and released. This bird has never built a nest so how's that bird going to stay warm? And there are not other cockatoos in Seattle living in the woods! This was really disturbing. Jennifer Aniston is too good for these silly romantic movies. I wish you could get more meaty parts where she can show that she actually is an actress.

I cannot imagine why Miss Aniston or Martin Sheen would accept a script this hackneyed and poor. There is no chemistry whatsoever between the lead characters. The plot is predictable . . . and old. It's been done so many times before in other films, almost all of which were better than this one. There is no believable reason why any "love happens" in this dreadful, stupid movie.

This movie surprised me. I was expecting a wacky love story but it's really a touching look at grief and living after loss. I didn't finish it. It has at least 3 G_____ns which ruins its clean appeal for anyone with standards in that regard.

MOVIE GRADE: B+ REASONS WHY I LIKED IT: 1. Great Performances from Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart 2. Nice light-hearted story 3. Dan Fogler is the perfect supporting actor I recommend this movie to anyone wants to see a good romantic comedy. The movie could have been longer, the director could have had a little bit more information on the Aaron Eckhart's characters past. Dan Fogler's role was probably one of the best roles he has ever did and he seems very likable in this role as a supporting character. He should definitely stick with supporting character roles. All in all the movie is wonderful. If you like our stuff please bookmark us at http://themystified.com

I didn't really expect any light romantic drama any more from this, but surprisingly. Surprisingly profound in relation to expectations. Admittedly, the subject area may have influenced attitudes even more deeply than any other viewer. He himself suffered a severe loss, so the subject drilled better into his mind. Sure, it's just part of the movie. The romantic side was quite cliché in itself, though it didn't bother me. After all, quite successful from this angle.